The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that it needs access to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to confirm the absence of mines or explosives at the site.
IAEA’s Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who said this on Wednesday, added that the Agency has been conducting regular walk-downs across the site without observing any visible indications of mines or explosives.
The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant has been under the control of Russia, with both countries claiming that the other has plans to attack the power plant.
According to Grossi, the Agency’s personnel should in particular be able to have access to the rooftops of reactor units 3 and 4 as well as access to parts of the turbine halls and some parts of the cooling system at the plant.
The IAEA Director General Grossi stressed the importance of the Agency’s team checking all parts of the ZNPP to monitor full compliance with the five basic principles for protecting Europe’s largest nuclear power plant during the current military conflict, following opposing statements and allegations in recent days regarding the military situation at the site.
“With military tension and activities increasing in the region where this major nuclear power plant is located, our experts must be able to verify the facts on the ground. Their independent and objective reporting would help clarify the current situation at the site, which is crucial at a time like this with unconfirmed allegations and counter allegations,” Director General Grossi said.
